Shopping for clothing and other wearable items, such as belts and shoes, can be frustrating for shoppers, particularly when manufacturers seem to apply their own whimsical definition of “standard” sizes. For example, a shopper may be perfectly comfortable in size-8 shoes from one manufacturer but may not even be able to fit into size-8.5 shoes from another. Additionally, even two clothing items from the same manufacturer, and purported to be of the same size, may actually differ in both size and fit. Traditionally, this often means that a judicious shopper should try on shoes and other clothing items for uniqueness of fit before making a purchase.
Conventional techniques that attempt to assist a shopper include placing a clothing item, such as a shirt, on a torso device that approximately replicates the size of the person. A shirt can be test-fitted on the torso device that includes micro switches and contact sensors from which a fitting determination can then be made. However, only some shops will employ such a device, and most shoppers will not want to carry such a cumbersome device around with them. Other techniques include virtual, on-line sizing with a virtual mannequin, which is of no use to a shopper who wants to actually try on a clothing item to check the actual fit and comfort of the item.